New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-03
DISESTA IN FRANCE.

The severance Of the relations between
Church and State In France Is rapidly APP
proaching The urgent necessity for re-
ducton of expenditures is generally recognized
ly legislators as the financial situation Is be-
coming worse every year. The national debt
is already so great that the Budget committees
are unwilling to increase it by funding the
floating Indebtedness which is source OF
serious embarrassment to every Minister OF
Finance. Every year there is legislative agita-
ton for retrenchment which practical finan-
ciers are aware cannot be effected unless either
the Army or the Church be sacrificed. As the
Repub lican majority is wholly unprepared for
an enormous reduction Of military expendl-
lures it is gradually opening the way for the
abroeation of the Concordat and the disestab-
lishment of the Church. The question has fire.
ouently been debated in the Assembly, and
numerous commissions have reported on the
relations between Church and State. A special
committee during the last week has gone q
step further and formally approved by large
majority a resolution in favor Of disestablish-
ment. The State grant now paid to the
Church amounts to 100000, exclusive Of
81. 900, 900 provided by Departments and
Municipal Councils. If these supplies were
withheld, the question Of bringing the gross
expenditures below the level Of the revenues
of the State would be temporarily solved.
The Concordat was originally negotiated by
Napoleon in 1901 as an effective instrument
for holding the Church in subsection to tho
State. II has survived six revolutions and
series of seven radical changes in dynasty and
form of government The relations of Church
and State have been completely transformed
since the opening Of the century. The Con-
cordat is practically infrineed on both sides
The control of the State over the Established
Church, which Napoleon effectually secured in
his time, has ceased. Bishops are installed
In their dioceses without permission from tho
Ministry of Worship; their pastoral letters
are not submitted to the Government and
they and the clergy as well have come to re-
gard church buildings, episcopal palaces and
parish property as ecclesiastical rather than
national. On the other hand the State. which
contracted In 1901 to pay the clergy salaries
that would enable them to live with a reason
able degree Of comfort. has failed to fulfil its
obligations. In Napoleon's day country
priest was able to live upon a stipend of
$12O year but he cannot do this now. While
many salaries paid to Che clergy have been
raised in the course Of eighty years. there are
numbers Of parishes in every Department Of
France where priests receive the beggarly
pittances which were allowed in 1901.
Of late years strong party in favor of
disestablishment has been forming within the
Church. Some of the most pious and sagacious
Catholics in France have long been convinced
that abandonment would prove substantial
gain to the Church. They have predicted
that tho Church would rapidly increase 10
wealth, power and influence II it were released
from its present relations to hostile State
Government. As the case stands, the clergy
are not dependent upon their salaries. The
stipends for city and suburban benelces do